Having important legal documentsin place allows you to provide the best care for your older adult, both now and toward the end of life.

That’s why it’s so important to find an expert lawyer you can trust.

We explain how to find an elder law attorney and share 5 tips for choosing one that’s reputable and experienced.

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2 ways to find an elder law attorney

1. Get a referral from someone you knowGetting a referral from family or a friend is a great way to find a lawyer. If they have a lawyer they’re happy with and would work with again, that’s a good sign.

It’s best to get a referral from someone whose legal needs were similar to yours. But even if you need an elder care lawyer and your cousin worked with an excellent civil attorney, that referral is still useful.

Good lawyers know other good lawyers and will probably be able to refer you to a colleague they respect.

Similarly, financial advisors, accountants, and fiduciaries (someone legally appointed to manage money) are professionals who often work with elder law attorneys. If you know and trust one of these professionals, ask them for a referral.

2. Check the National Academy of of Elder Law AttorneysThe National Academy of of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) is the professional organization for attorneys who specialize in elder law and special needs planning.

Their website includes an attorney finder to help you locate elder law attorneys in your area.

5 tips for choosing a good elder law attorney

After getting referrals, you’ll still need to choose an attorney.

Don’t make up your mind about hiring a lawyer until you’ve met them, discussed your needs, and checked their credentials.

1. Meet for an initial consultation (possibly free)
An in-person meeting helps you get a feel for how they work and if their style works for you.

If you summarize your needs in advance, many lawyers will be willing to meet for 15 to 30 minutes at no charge. If there is a fee for a consultation, find out how much it will be.

If you meet with a few lawyers and present the same situation to each, you can also compare what they’ve said. That helps you confirm whether their advice is legitimate and helps you think of questions to ask about any differences in advice.

2. Find out how much experience they’ve had with issues similar to yours
Look for a lawyer with experience handling matters similar to yours.

Experience comes with years in practice and with how many of those types of situations they’ve dealt with.

5 Comments

Janet Nunziata

Hello, I would also recommend looking for an attorney who is certified as an elder law attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation, a non-profit organization accredited by the American Bar Association.

It’s a good idea to look through referrals first. It’s nice to work with a lawyer that you know has done good work for someone else. It’s also a good idea to look at several different lawyers before making a decision. That way you can pick someone that works well for your individual situation.

Lil M

I have a senior friend who was ripped off by attorneys managing her trust fund. She is in a long, involved court case. I asked a city prosecutor how to find someone good to handle her case and she replied, “Make sure to find an attorney who knows the local legal system well.”
Other suggestions?

Connie Chow

Hi Lil, thanks so much for your comment. What happened to your friend is terrible! I’m not a legal expert, but it sounds like the city prosecutor gave you good advice. Perhaps you could ask for a few referrals too? At this point, your friend’s situation involves a court battle so someone who is an excellent lawyer AND knows how to work within the local system seems like they would be most helpful. It’s also very important to make sure that a new lawyer will be reputable and ethical, else the situation could get worse. I wish your friend the best of luck. It’s terrible that there are such greedy, unethical people out there.